We carefully select our Artisans based on a strict set of criteria and the belief that they share our own philosophy and values. We chose Sparoza for the potent combination of fragrant, handcrafted blends and eye-catching design that characterize all their products. We also admire founder Efi Ekmetzoglou’s commitment to keeping her small business in the center of Athens during such challenging social and economic times. You can shop their collection here.
Sparoza was started in 2014 by Effie Ekmetzoglou, an Athenian whose family originated from Anatolia. She left a 20-year career as a publisher to translate her passion for herbs and spices into a a new career. Seeking the finest raw materials and making her own lemon and orange zest, Effie captured the blends she had always used in her own cooking and began selling them around her Athens neighborhood of Exarcheia. Soon she opened up her small production facility for shoppers and tourists, showing a more productive, positive side of her community than what was often portrayed on the news during the area’s demonstrations over Greece’s debt crisis.
We first met Effie at a trade fair in Athens, where her eye-catching product design literally stopped us in our tracks. One sip of her tea and our first exchange of words and we were convinced that we spoke the same language. Effie's commitment to her community and to high quality were a perfect fit with our criteria for selecting new Artisans.
Effie selects the raw materials for Sparoza with strict criteria: rosemary and thyme are picked when in blossom, she makes her very own top quality citrus zest using fresh Greek lemons and oranges, every ingredient is ground to a different degree so as to best preserve its culinary and nutritional value. Importantly for us, Sparoza products do not contain preservatives, additives, artificial flavors nor colorants.
Sparoza continues to innovate, first launching blends of Greek mountain tea and herbs, and more recently a growing collection of Greek Cuisine Classics, perfectly-blended cooking mixes that allow you to easily replicate beloved traditional Greek dishes, getting that authentic flavor just right. Like all of Sparoza's products, the packaging is beautifully designed, thanks to a close collaboration with a daring design duo.
Zelos is proud to help this small business bring the fragrances and flavors of Greece to the US. Read more about Effie on our Zelos Blog.
Sparoza's products are manufactured in facilities that meet ISO/HACCP food safety regulation standards.
I need to create and explore constantly: colors, smells, textures; fresh ideas give me joy, inspiration and vigor.
— Efi Ekmetzoglou, Founder
Enjoy Sparoza's unique handcrafted Greek spice, herb, and loose leaf tea blends. The perfect way to add a touch of Greece to any recipe.
$18.00
Aurora is the rosy-fingered goddess of Dawn, rising before the Sun to break the darkness and let the daylight through. Sparoza's Aurora blend combines an array of...
View full product details$18.00
In Greek mythology, Avaris was a powerful healer and priest of the god Apollo, traveling the world on a golden arrow. In our world of...
View full product details$18.00
The Shaman Tea was the very first handmade product from the Sparoza team, who were inspired by the Ayurvedic tradition and Indian Chai Masala to...
View full product details$50.00
Sparoza's loose-leaf teas come in beautifully designed packages that make for special gifts. Open it and you'll feel like you've walked into a garden, with an...
View full product details$12.00
Sparoza's fragrant Aurora tea is now available in a convenient zipped refill! Fill your original Aurora tin with this blend of herbs, traditional Greek mountain tea,...
View full product details$12.00
The Shaman Tea was the very first handmade product from the Sparoza team, who were inspired by the Ayurvedic tradition and Indian Chai Masala to...
View full product details$12.00
Sparoza's Shaman Spiced Tea is now available in a convenient refill! Fill your original Shaman tin with this fragrant blend of the finest black tea and freshly-ground...
View full product details$12.00
This handcrafted concentrated seasoning is a unique blend of herbs and seeds that adds a special touch of Greece to salads, dressings, meatballs, burgers. Add...
View full product details$12.00
This handcrafted concentrated seasoning has the distinct flavors of Greek cooking from Anatolia, with a sweet/spicy mix and homemade orange zest. Each package includes cooking and...
View full product details$12.00
This handcrafted concentrated seasoning is a unique blend of herbs and seeds that adds a special touch of Greece to salads, dressings, meatballs, burgers. Add...
View full product details$36.00
Sparoza’s unique concentrated seasonings add a special touch of Greece to salads, dressings, roasted veggies, fish, chicken, meatballs, burgers...the possibilities are endless, and a little...
View full product details$14.00
Traditional Greek salad, or as we call it in Greece, “horiatiki” village salad, is a delicious, fresh and nutritious dish that farmers often had as...
View full product details$14.00
Tzatziki is a fresh yogurt dip traditionally served as part of a Greek “mezé” appetizer plate or as a refreshing sauce for grilled meat. With...
View full product details$14.00
Souvlaki, those small chunks of grilled meat and vegetables on a skewer, are often wrapped in pita bread for a classic Greek street food. Sparoza’s...
View full product details$40.00
Bring the flavors of a Greek BBQ to your table. Easily whip up a classic Greek chicken or lamb gyros, complete with an authentic tzatziki and flavorful...
View full product details$38.00
Inspired by the rosy-fingered goddess of dawn, Aurora blends authentic Greek mountain tea with beneficial herbs and handmade citrus peel. Pair it with this limited...
View full product details$38.00
The Spicy Lift pairs the bold flavors of Sparoza's Shaman tea and Citrus' preserved Sour Cherry Spoon Sweet for an experience that will awaken all your...
View full product details$38.00
Carefully selected herbs, flowers & roots make for a relaxing tisane in this Avaris blend, named after the ancient Greek healer and priest of the...
View full product details$14.00
Surrounded by water and with hundreds of islands, Greece has been blessed with fresh fish for millennia and Greek cooks have always used the fresh...
View full product details$14.00